This invention relates to a camera with a liquid-crystal display device (hereinafter, referred to as an LCD) in its finder.
Use of liquid crystal for a display in the finder of a camera has been proposed. With such an LCD, the AF target mark, various modes, and the selection of field angle, such as panorama or normal, are represented on the LCD screen. Positive LCDs, including guest-host LCDs and TN (twisted nematic) LCDs, have been widely used.
Recently, the use of macromolecular dispersion liquid crystal for an LCD in the finder of a camera has been proposed, as disclosed Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-165017. The macromolecular dispersion liquid crystal disclosed in the publication is a positive liquid crystal, which prevents light from passing through when a voltage is applied and allows light to pass through when no voltage is applied. On the other hand, negative liquid crystals have also been known. They allow light to pass through when a voltage is applied and prevent light from passing through when no voltage is applied.
Since such a macromolecular dispersion liquid crystal display has a high degree of scattering, use of it for the finder of a camera makes the amount of light reaching the pupil very small. This enables a finder with a high contrast to be constructed, as compared with the TN LCD or guest-host LCD type. Conventional TN LCDs are available in the negative and positive types. The types of liquid crystals usable for the finder of a camera have been increasing in number these days.
With a camera having an LCD in its finder, however, because there is no change in the transmittance of the liquid crystal, regardless of whether the camera is in the photograph enable mode or in the photograph disable mode, the following drawbacks arise.
Firstly, in the case of a camera with a barrier, when the barrier is opened, the visual field changes from pitch-black to bright. As a result, the user can know that the barrier has been opened but cannot know whether the power switch has been turned on.
Secondly, in the case of a camera without a barrier, even when the power switch is turned on, the display in the finder does not change. As a result, the user cannot know clearly whether the camera is in the photograph enable mode.